T.S: Surface tension
Pubblic permanent installation, Curated By Alessandra Pioselli, Ancona (IT)
Surface Tension, the title that informs Eugenio Tibaldi's project, refers to the surface forces of water, which generate a thin elastic membrane between the liquid and the air. The tension on the skin of the aquatic body produces a suspension energy capable of supporting insects known as water skaters. Water striders glide across the water, exploiting this surface elasticity with their long, slender legs.
Through research conducted in the Ancona area, exploring its historic, maritime, port, and peripheral areas, and meeting various residents, the artist has noticed the emergence of a perception of Ancona as a city bent on a transitory destiny, somewhat marginalized, despite its dense array of historical and cultural attractions. The installation that Eugenio Tibaldi has designed is thus, as he puts it, like "a small piece of the world, detached and suspended, an island on earth ready to depart, standing still to gaze at the port, for the last time, or the first."
The artist has imagined two hybrid forms as if generated from the remains of the sea, the city, and vegetation, composed of organic materials (earth and plants) and human waste (decommissioned boats and parts of construction scaffolding). Redefining the function of disused elements has always been an integral part of the artist's poetics, which invites reflection on their various possibilities of existence.